FRIENDS
by KatherineLC
Summary: The story of the teens of Konoha and their romantic and friendship situations.
1. Chapter 1

Waiting for Kiba, Hinata was leaning against a tree in the forest when Sakura came falling down from the trees and landing skillfully o her feet. "Hinata! I've been looking everywhere for you!" She proclaimed, "I'm having a sleepover, party type thing tonight. Can you come?"  
Hinata felt a bit shocked at first. Her and Sakura had never been great friends, but she nodded yes anyway.  
"Great!" Sakura said as she started to run away  
Hinata gathered up her small voice, "wait! Who's going to be there?"  
Sakura started walking back, "Ino, Tenten, and me. Oh, and I invited Temari from the sand village but i don't know if she's coming or not. I still have a few more people to invite! See you there!"  
Running away as fast as she could, Hinata ran home. . .right into her cousin, neji, and his look-alike, Hinata's sister Hanabi.  
"Woah, slow down hot wheels." Neji said feeling humorous for once.  
"Beat that!" Hanabi said right after.  
"Sorry. Hanabi, where's dad?" Hinata asked not sorry at all and with no intention of slowing down.  
"I don't know. Check in side," Hanabi said.  
"K, thanks, bye." She said and then zoomed off into her father's library.  
"Dad?" She called. To hear him reply "yes"  
"Can I go to Sakura's party, tonight?"  
"Sakura's having a party, tonight?" Neji walked in and said at the same time as Hiashi.  
Hinata nodded.  
Neji's face kinda dropped, "I wasn't invited."  
"It's a sleepover, Neji."  
"Crap! I wanna sleepover at Sakura's!" Neji yelled with perverted thoughts and then went outside to help Hanabi with her Byakugan training.  
"Call, I wish to speak with Sakura's mother. . .oh and while you're at it . . ." He started to grin, "ask if Neji can come." After he said this they both heard a "YES!" from outside followed by the giggle of a ten year old girl.  
I groaned, but then called.  
"Hello?" came Sakura's voice.  
"Hi, Sakura-chan. My dad. . .and Neji want to know if he can come."  
"Oh my Gosh! Thats a great Idea!"  
"It is?"  
"Yeah! We can have a boy/girl party and then just the girls can sleepover! Thanks. Tell Neji he can come! And can you invite Kiba for me?"  
"sure." She said right befor ehanging up.  
"Neji, your in! But no sleeping over," Hinata called followed by "Good enough" from her for-once exited cousin. She felt like she should be happy. But she wasn't as she thought about how none of the girls there we really her friends.


	2. Chapter 2

Hinata started pacing. Sakura had called again and said that it was going to be a pool party so they had to bring bathing suits. Great, Hinata thought, As if I wasn't self-conscious enough!  
The last thing she wanted was to be infront of Naruto, Kiba, and the rest of the guys in a bikini! On the other hand, Neji was happy. He'd developed a little (well not so little anymore) crush on Sakura. Hinata looked at the clock. 4:00. "Kay, Neji, time to go." She announced glumly.  
"Yes! . . .what are you so sad about?"  
"Nothing. C'mon let's go."  
As they walked down the street, Hinata's fear and sadness transformed into a bit of excitement when she saw Naruto walking a little bit ahead of her. She ran forward leaving a not-caring Neji behind.  
"Hi Naruto-kun." She said shyly once she caught up to him  
"oh, hey, Hinata," Naruto replied, "What's up?"  
"Nothin' just headed to Sakura's. You're going, too, right?"  
"Yeah." He smiled making Hinata blush a little. "Wanna go together?" he asked after a minute of walking in silence. By this time they were already right outside of Sakura's house.  
Hinata just nodded because she couldn't find her voice.  
"Cool." He said. The only thing Hinata couldn't figure out, though, was if he meant go as friends or something more. When they walked in, Naruto left because he saw Sasuke and Sai in the corner. Then she saw that Neji was in a group with Sakura, Temari, Ino, and Shikamaru, so she walked over in time to hear Ino ask "So, Sakura, who do you like!" and she could feel Neji's hopes rising. But then Sakura lifted up the charm on the end of her necklace. It was an Uchiha crest with a little S made of rinestones on it.  
"Me and Sasuke have been going out for a week now!" She squeeled excitedly as Hinata met Neji's sad eyes with an apologetic look and mouthed "Sorry" before Neji turned and ran out of the house. Back toward the Hyuuga clan, Hinata guessed. Hinata grabbed a strawberry out of the bowl and went to sit by the pool. Next thing she knew Naruto was sitting next to her.  
"Hey, Hinata. Sorry I left a little while ago." he apologized.  
"It's all right."  
"Thanks. Tell Neji that I'm sorry about what happened."  
Hinata's head snapped up. "How did you know about that? You were on the other side of the room."  
Naruto chuckled once. "Oh, please. I could have heard Sakura's squeeling from France. And I figured out that he liked her a week ago when i was walking by your house. He has a very up-beat personality when he's a way from us. I have to hold that against hi next time he makes fun of my perky."  
The laughed together and then their eyes met. Hinata felt so much static. And then she did the most spontaneous thing she had ever done. She kissed him. Just a peck, but it was electric. After it was over, Naruto's eyes burned into hers. But he wanted more than just a peck, so he leaned in basically started making out with her. After about seven seconds, she pulled back. Feeling the eyes of everyone at the party burning into them. Naruto was oblivious, though.  
"I-I should go talk to Neji." Hinata whispered.  
Naruto didn't want her to go, but knew she needed to. "Yeah."  
Hinata got up and started walking away.  
"I'll see you later, Hinata." He smiled and was answered with Hinata's smile.


	3. Chapter 3

"Hey . . . wanna talk?" Hinata asked when she saw Neji sitting on the curb.  
"No. I don't. You wouldn't get it. You don't have feelings for someone who only notices one guy. You don't know what it's like to like someone have to listen to them talking about someone else. You don't even really like me, Hinata. So, just go away and enjoy your party!" Neji threw a temper fit.  
Hinata narrowed he eyes thinking. Really? Did he really just say that?  
"I wouldn't get it?" She let her temper blossom. "What wouldn't I get about that? You've only like Sakura for what? Two, three weeks? I've been going through that for four years. I've loved Naruto since way back before we were even Jonins! He loved Sakura, and I had to listen to and watch him chase after her. He never noticed me! And as far as not liking you, I could be with Naruto right now. He just freaking kissed me! Don't you think I'd like to be with him? So, what do you think it means? It means that I left Naruto to be with you! . . . You know what I will go back to the party. I'm sorry." Hinata looked down and then turned back running towards Sakura's.  
Meanwhile, Kurenai was at home when she felt a sharp pang in her body. Looking down, she gasper. He water broke. She bit her bottome lip and whispered "Oh my God. It's really happening." Then flipping open her phone, she called Shikamaru who rushed out of the party and took her to the hospital.  
Back at the party, Kiba, Shino, and Hinata's phones rang in synchronization.  
"Hello?" all three said followed by "Oh my God." and then "I'll be right there."  
Hinata grabbed Naruto's hand and ran towards the hospital, while Shino and Kiba got Ino and Choji. Together they all ran to the hospital to greet Kurenai and the decessed Asuma's child. By the time they got there, the baby had just been born.  
The crowd of seven grouped around Kurenai's hospital bed surrounding her and the newly born little girl.  
"What's her name?" Naruto Ino finally asked.  
"Well, her first name is Shika. She's named after you, Shikamaru. You're her Godfather," Kurenai replied.  
Shikamaru's eyes lit up although everyone expected him to be the Godfather.  
"And her middle name is Hinata . . . for her Godmother." Now, even though everyone knew Kurenai adored Hinata, no one expected that. "Really?" Hinata whispered and was answered by Kurenai's smile. Naruto squeezed her hand and smiled at her. It was perfect, she thought. But then, Hinata was hit with a pang of guilt. It was almost perfect. She whipped out her cell phone and dialed the number she had never called before.

Neji sat alone still, when Sakura came and parked down beside him.  
"Why are you here?" Neji looked at her.  
"Hinata called me. Why didn't you tell me you liked me?"  
"I was planning to. But, then you liked Sasuke and . . . I don't know."  
"What do you like about me?" Sakura asked.  
"How youre so pretty, and nice to everyone, and caring. And youre strong and smart. You're amazing," Neji confided.  
Sakura smiled. "Well, I'm with Sasuke, now." She smiled at him. "But . . . I'll remember that." Then she pecked his cheek and skipped away, and with it she took the key to Neji's now sealed heart.


	4. Chapter 4

It'd been three weeks since the drama-filled party at Sakura's house. Hinata and Naruto were officially "dating", Neji and Sakura had been minding their distance but exchanging that shy yet sweet smile every chance they got, Shika was getting a billion visits per day and at least ten of them we from Shikamaru who stopped by because he was 'in the neighborhood' as he said. Everything was excellent.  
Strolling down the road and holding hands with Naruto, Hinata wondered if life could get any better. But she had been in her own little fantasy for the past three weeks. A little peice of reality snapped back to her when she saw Kiba sitting on the curb holding his head. She looked at Naruto who went from happy-go-lucky to concerned. He nodded, knowing she was asking for permission which he couldn't quite fathom. He didn't own her after all. She smiled, kissed him on the cheek, and then walked over to Kiba. Naruto proceeded forward to Lady Tsunade to recieve a mission.  
"Are you all right?" Hinata asked in a girlish whisper. Kiba moved his head in a mixture of a nod and a shake. Hinata bit her lower lip, entirely more confused.  
"Let's go to the forest to talk privately. . .?" She said making it sound more like a question. When Kiba did nothing she grabbed his hand and pulled him with her to the woods. They sat up in a tree and talked. Apparently, Kiba had been dating Ino. How did Hinata miss that? Anyhow, Ino had just broke up with him the hour before. Kiba was more confused than sad, though. Ino had said "I can't believe you did that! You're so mean, why'd you do it? You know what don't answer that! We're done." And Kiba's big issue was that he had no idea what he did wrong. He didn't cheat, he wasn't mean. What could it have been?

Earlier that day

Sai was sitting in the forest drawing pictures. He drew his brother mostly. But then after three pictures of him and his brother, two pictures of the sky, four pictures of the trees, and three of animals, he started to draw without thinking. He drew a tree with an extended branch. Then on the branch he faintly started outlining the figure of a person who shortly after became a woman. He then made her have long hair and drew her hands holding something in them although he himself was not quite sure what, yet. After he drew the woman with blonde hair and a long dress. She was gazing at the sky through her blue green eyes, a red rose in her hands. When Sai finnished he finally noticed that it had been Ino he was drawing or someone remarkably similar. But he thought nothing of it. He liked the picture but it didn't mean anything to him, so he left it there on the grassy forest floor.  
Later, Ino was taking a walk and came upon the picture. She studied it.  
"It's me." She whispered. She analyzed it thorougly and - although she knew from the beginning - verified the artist. Sai was obviously the only one capable of such a masterpiece. Ino held the picture close, feeling happy that he cared enough to draw her. She walked the rest of the way home deep in thought, but none of that mattered because she forgot all about it as she drifted into sleep, muttering her last words of the day. She sighed , "Thank you, Sai."


	5. Chapter 5

It was dark out except for one sliver of light in front of her. There was a shadow of a person. His hand extended forward into the light; it was pale white and gentle. The shadow stepped forward. His black hair touched his eyes. A sweet smile spread across his face.  
"Sai?" Ino whispered.  
"Of course," he smiled, ". . .I believe this is yours." he placed a red, thornless rose in her hands.  
A puzzled look crossed her face. She looked down and just faintly recognized the long purple dress on her from the picture. Ino smiled.  
A shrill bell rang from above and the next thing Ino knew she was sitting up in bed, listening to her alarm clock screaming.  
"It was just a dream? . . .crap." Ino said before she got out of bed and got ready for the day.  
After getting dressed, she walked over to her desk for her hairbrush to see a picture of her and Kiba.  
"Oh boy," she whispered then put the picture in her drawer.  
"You did not break up with him for Sai. You did not, you did not, you did not! C'mon Ino, you didn't do anything wrong! Stop being guilty!" She fell down to the floor and sat hugging her knees. She finally gave up and walked over to the lilac phone.  
"Hello?" Said the voice on the other end.  
"Sakura? We have an emergency. It's code red!"  
"I'll be right over."

After telling Sakura the whole story, she listened to the pinkette's advice.  
"So let me get this straight. You like Sai, so you broke up with Kiba for Sai just because he drew a picture that looked like you?"  
"Yes."  
"And now you're guilty because. . . ?"  
"Because I made it seem like Kiba did something wrong and that's why i broke up with him."  
"Well why the hell did you do that!"  
"I panicked! I-I needed more time!"  
"To do what?"  
"To panic!"  
They both sunk down onto the bed.  
"So . . . what are you going to do?" Sakura finally asked. Ino just shrugged. Looking up from her hands, Ino noticed Sakura staring wide-eyed out the window. Turning, Ino saw Hinata standing outside the window with her mouth wide open. When she met Ino's eyes, she composed herself and then ran full-speed to Kiba's house


	6. Chapter 6

Hinata back-tracked half way to where she left Kiba. She had to tell him . . . didn't she? But Ino was her friend too. Kinda. She didn't want to meddle.  
Kiba came running up. "Well, Hinata? Did she say why?"  
"Um, uh. . . .no. But I'll keep trying to figure it out . . . ?" Hinata mumbled. Kiba seemed dissappointed, but nodded. He realized that he was lucky Hinata was even trying.

MEANWHILE

Sakura had been avoiding Neji since the day Shika was born. But today, she decided to talk to him, again.  
"Hi Neji," She said shyly as she approached him training.  
"Hey," he said out of breath, still punching at his training bag. Sakura found herself speechless at the look of his body. His shirt was ff and his skin was shiny with sweat . . .and she somehow found it VERY appealing. She felt as if she was drooling and had an uncontrollable urge to reach out and touch his muscular forearm, but when he turned around to face her, she composed herself.  
"Oh, sorry Sakura. What do you need?" He asked, grinning shyly.  
"I just wanted to say hi." she answered biting her bottom lip. Her brain was yelling "YOU'RE DATING SASUKE, YOU IDIOT. STOP FLIRTING!" but her heart was telling her to go for it. She followed her heart. They sat down on a low branch. As they sat, their hands brushed, sending a wave of heat through both of them. They seddled on holding hands. They talked for awhile and soon all awkwardness wore off completely. She turned her head and the reality sunk in. She was so close to him; all she had to do was lean in an inch an she'd be kissing him. Just thinking it created a magnetic pull towards him. He had the same pull, with just as much strength. They leaned in - well, were pulled in - until their lips met. She put her arms into his long, brown hair and around his neck; he put his arms around her waist, and they remained until sunset.  
As the sun was setting, Neji felt . . . a feeling. He pulled away leaving an anxious Sakura with still puckered lips. He was determined.  
"Come with me to my house?" He asked.  
She smiled unthinkingly and nodded unthinkingly. They ran hand in hand and snuck into the house. Hinata caught them, however. She was walking down the hallway and froze once she saw them kissing and walking backwards into Neji's room. After the door was closed, she shook her head and pretended she saw nothing.  
When they were in the room, they instantly stripped each other of their clothing and fell onto the bed. They both fell to sleep with meeting lips.


	7. Chapter 7

Neji opened his eyes the next morning, remembering the glorious dream. Then he realized it was not a dream at all. He saw a sleeping Sakura lying across his bare chest and smiled. It had actually happened. Sakura, the amazing Sakura Haruno, had just taken Neji's virginity. He sighed, "Unbelievable." But then the pain-aching discovery crept in and disturbed all of his happy thoughts. So many issues came tagged on to this night of pleasure. _What about Sasuke? We had no protection! What about pregnancy or something bad. I don't know about any of this; what if something bad happened? _Neji ran through all of the scary possibilities in his head. Then he shook his head, careful not to wake Sakura, and exhaled.

"Be a man, Neji. You're seventeen, that's plenty old enough to have sex; suck it up," he whispered to himself. That's when Sakura woke up. She was just as beautiful in the morning when her hair was all messed up as she was the night before, Neji thought. She tucked her hair behind her ear and sat up. Shaking her head she whispered, "Unbelievable."

Neji laughed, "That's what I said."

Sakura was smiling that 'I-think-I-just-fell-in-love' smile but it slowly faded as she went into the same "what if" stage as Neji just got over. When she began to hyperventilate, Neji got concerned. He grabbed her shoulders and whispered her name.

"Are you all right?" He asked. She nodded. Then they heard a sound so terrifying, so thrilling – a knock on the door.

"It's Hinata. Throw some clothes on and let me in," said the person behind the door, slightly louder than a whisper. "I need to tell Sakura something."

Hinata listened to the sounds of urgent mumbling and cloth being pulled over skin. Then the door opened.

"Come on," Sakura said pulling Hinata into the room. Hinata smiled when she saw the guilty look on Neji's face.

"Calm down, Cuz. You're not confessing to a murder," Hinata said grinning. Then she composed herself.

"How'd you know?" Neji asked once he stopped blushing.

"I saw you making out in the hallway. When Sakura never left I was pretty sure of what was going on here." She made a disgusted look at the end. "I'm just glad you two made it to the bed. I can't even imagine what Dad would say if he saw _that _on the hallway floor. Anyway, Sakura, you might want to go now."

"Why?" asked the groggy pinkette.

Hinata sighed, "Your parents thought you were sleeping over at Ino's. So when they called and Yamanka-san said you were there, Ino panicked and said you were here, stupidly. So when they called here I told my dad that you spent the night here . . . except I left out how you spent it. Anyway, they want you home." Hinata waved and then left the room.

Sakura kissed Neji, then quickly climbed out his window and ran to her house. When she got home, her parents surprisingly understood. Of course, they wouldn't have if they knew what really happened. She went into her room, and her fingers felt something in her pocket. She pulled out her Uchiha crest with the rhinestone S on it and began to feel very guilty. One single tear rolled down her cheek and she whispered, "I'm sorry, Sasuke."

After Hinata had told Sakura to leave, she left herself. She walked down the street until she found what she was looking for. Ino was sitting on a bench looking at the picture Sai drew. When Ino saw Hinata approaching, she lifted her head barely acknowledging her.

"What," she said.

"Ino, I didn't tell him. I didn't tell Kiba what I heard," she confessed. Ino looked her in the eyes as if to say why.

"Because I didn't want to hurt him or you or anybody. I shouldn't be a part of this; it's between you and Kiba," Hinata explained the never asked question. Ino nodded.

"You know, you're a lot nicer than I thought you were. Maybe we could hang out sometime," Ino suggested. Hinata nodded.

"But first, I'm all ready in the situation, so I might as well help you out. What can I do?"

"Well, according to Sakura we can't do anything. She told me yesterday that what I did was awful and I should be ashamed and blah, blah, blah."

Hinata lowered her head and whispered, "Hypocrite."

"What?"

"Well, at least you were nice enough to break up with Kiba first. That way it's not cheating." Ino was still confused. So Hinata looked her in the eyes and told her straight out. "Sakura did it last night with Neji. And she's still dating Sasuke . . . but don't tell anyone, Okay?"

Ino nodded. They sat on the bench for an hour trying to come up with something to say to Kiba, but when they came up with nothing, Ino knew there was only one thing to do.

"Are you sure you want me to tell him?" Hinata asked after Ino made her request. She just nodded. Hinata nodded to and then left. Ino waited in agonizing silence. Every minute seemed like forty years. But she eventually came back.

"So?" Ino asked.

"I told him," Hinata said slowly.

"And?" Ino asked.

"You're riding solo for now," Hinata said with a little smile.


End file.
